Geophysical and geochemical constraints on geoneutrino fluxes from Earth's mantle

TL;DR

This paper explores how geoneutrino measurements can constrain Earth's mantle composition and dynamics, using novel analyses of surface variations linked to deep mantle models, including seismic tomography, to improve understanding of Earth's heat sources.

Contribution

It introduces new analyses of mantle geoneutrino surface variations based on deep mantle models, enabling better constraints on Earth's internal composition and heat production.

Findings

Surface geoneutrino variations can distinguish between mantle models

Seismic tomography-informed models show measurable differences in geoneutrino signals

Strategic ocean detector deployment can discriminate between compositional hypotheses

Abstract

Knowledge of the amount and distribution of radiogenic heating in the mantle is crucial for understanding the dynamics of the Earth, including its thermal evolution, the style and planform of mantle convection, and the energetics of the core. Although the flux of heat from the surface of the planet is robustly estimated, the contributions of radiogenic heating and secular cooling remain poorly defined. Constraining the amount of heat-producing elements in the Earth will provide clues to understanding nebula condensation and planetary formation processes in early Solar System. Mantle radioactivity supplies power for mantle convection and plate tectonics, but estimates of mantle radiogenic heat production vary by a factor of more than 20. Recent experimental results demonstrate the potential for direct assessment of mantle radioactivity through observations of geoneutrinos, which are emitted by naturally occurring radionuclides. Predictions of the geoneutrino signal from the mantle exist for several established estimates of mantle composition. Here we present novel analyses, illustrating surface variations of the mantle geoneutrino signal for models of the deep mantle structure, including those based on seismic tomography. These variations have measurable differences for some models, allowing new and meaningful constraints on the dynamics of the planet. An ocean based geoneutrino detector deployed at several strategic locations will be able to discriminate between competing compositional models of the bulk silicate Earth.